The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) recorded a gain of over N8 billion, driven by increased demand for Lafarge Africa (Ticker: WAPCO) and Haldane McCall Plc (Ticker: HMCALL). This rebound followed a previous negative session where the market lost N123 billion due to sell-offs in banking stocks.
The local bourse saw a marginal recovery as the All-Share Index rose by 13.61 basis points, closing at 97,639.88. This represents a slight gain of 0.01%, coinciding with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s decision to raise the benchmark interest rate to 27.50%.
Market Highlights
Investors showed heightened interest in the financial and industrial sectors, though overall market activity slowed. The total volume of traded shares dropped by 17.75%, while the total value declined by 24.52%.
According to data from NGX, approximately 552.11 million units of shares valued at N8.03 billion were exchanged across 9,305 deals. Haldane McCall Plc emerged as the most traded stock by volume, accounting for 32.11% of total transactions.
Other top stocks on the volume chart included:
- TANTALIZER (6.71%)
- UBA (5.37%)
- PRESTIGE (5.18%)
- FBNH (3.90%)
In terms of value, Haldane McCall also led the pack, contributing 13.61% of the total traded value.
Gainers and Losers
Haldane McCall Plc topped the gainers’ chart with a 9.98% price increase. Other notable gainers included:
- SUNUASSUR (+9.80%)
- JAPAULGOLD (+9.72%)
- PRESTIGE (+9.64%)
- NEIMETH (+9.55%)
- WAPCO (+9.15%)
Meanwhile, 24 stocks depreciated, with MULTIVERSE leading the losers, declining by -9.92%. Other notable decliners included:
- TANTALIZER (-9.30%)
- GUINNESS (-4.62%)
- ELLAHLAKES (-4.13%)
- OANDO (-3.46%)
- STERLINGNG (-2.07%)
Sectoral Performance
The market’s performance was largely bullish, with four of the five major sectors closing in green:
- Insurance (+0.91%), led by gains in SUNUASSUR.
- Industrial Goods (+0.76%), driven by WAPCO.
- Oil and Gas (+0.36%), supported by JAPAULGOLD.
- Consumer Goods (+0.09%), buoyed by FLOURMILL.
The Banking sector was the sole loser, dropping -0.21% due to sell-offs in UBA (-1.55%) and ACCESSCORP (-1.74%).
Market Capitalisation
At the close of trading, the NGX’s market capitalisation rose by N8.25 billion, settling at N59.18 trillion. This mixed performance highlights investor caution amid interest rate adjustments, though selective buying continues to drive momentum in key sectors.
 recorded a gain of over N8 billion, driven by increased demand for Lafarge Africa (Ticker: WAPCO) and....){kind=link}